Captain Patrick C. Burns, U.S. Navy (Retired) serves as the Deputy Director of the Naval History and Heritage Command. He is responsible for the execution of the Naval History and Heritage Command's mission: preserving, acquiring, producing, and disseminating history and heritage products and resources through naval historical, archival, museum, curatorial, art, and underwater archaeological programs.

Captain Burns grew up at his family's long-time residences in Mendham, New Jersey, and Upstate New York. He received his commission through the NROTC program at University of Notre Dame in 1986 while majoring in Government and International Studies / Politics, Philosophy, and Economics. He graduated from the Naval War College, College of Naval Command and Staff, in 2006. In 2007, he graduated from the Uniformed Services Universities' program in Weapons of Mass Destruction: Biological, Chemical, Nuclear, Radiological, and High Yield Explosives. In 2013, he was selected a as Brooking Institution Legislative Fellow.

In his 30-year naval career, Burns served on board USS Joseph Strauss (DDG-16), Navy Recruit Training Command San Diego, Fleet Training Group Guantanamo Bay Cuba, NR Fleet Training Group Norfolk, NR Commander Cruiser Destroyer Group Twelve (USS Enterprise Battle Group), NR OPNAV N76 Surface Warfare Division, OPNAV N70 Warfare Integration, OPNAV N8F Warfare Integration, OPNAV N10 Resource Management Division, OPNAV N1 (Chief of Staff for Manpower, Personnel, Training, & Education), and as the Special Assistant to Director, Navy Staff. In October 2010, Captain Burns then reported to Naval History and Heritage Command where he developed the concept of operations and planned the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 for the Navy. He returned to Reserve duty for his final tour with NR Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet where he participated in four U.S. / South Korea exercises in 2016 and 2017.

In his 17-year civil service career, Burns has served in both the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of the Navy (DON). He planned and executed the sixth International Naval Review in the history of the United States (July 4, 2000, NY Harbor), was a first responder on 9/11 in New York City, helped stand up DHS, chaired the APEC Maritime Security Working Group, helped write the International Ship and Port Security treaty (ISPS) at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London - signing the ISPS Treaty for the United States as a delegate to the IMO, and co-chaired the National Security Council & Office of Homeland Security Radiological Dispersal Device / Improvised Nuclear Device Transportation Security Working Group.